Cathepsin D activity levels in patients with preeclampsia / Ayman Mohamed Hany Shehata ; Supervised Hanan Hosni Ahmed , Fatma Mohamed Taha , Salah Aly Sanad

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Medical Biochemistry

Subjects and Methods: Serum samples were obtained from 40 women with established preeclampsia and from 40 normotensive pregnant women (control group).Serum cathepsin D activity was determined using a {uFB02}uorimetric immunoassay and serum PlGF-1 was estimated using ELISA. Results: Mean serum cathepsin D activity was significantly higher (p=0.018) whereas mean serum PIGF-1 level was significantly lower (p<0.001) in preeclamptic females than in the normotensive pregnant females. Also serum cathepsin D activity was significantly higher (p=0.012), while serum PIGF-1was significantly lower (p=0.001) in preeclampsia with severe features than in preeclampsia. Increased serum cathepsin D activity and decreased serum PlGF-1were associated with increased risk of poor and intermediate neonatal outcome (APGAR score <7). Serum cathepsin D activity was positively correlated with the systolic and diastolic blood pressures and negatively correlated with PlGF-1.Logistic regression analysis revealed that serum cathepsin D activity(p=0.017,OR 1.451; 95% C.I., 1.070- 1.969) may be considered as an independent predictor of the severity of preeclampsia.Conclusion: Cathepsin D is an important anti-angiogenic factor involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. It could be used as promising marker for prediction of preeclampsia and its severity

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